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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26709979">Q and A</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Broken_irises/pseuds/Broken_irises'>Broken_irises</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>The Magicians (TV)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>F/F, F/M, M/M</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-09-29</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-02-21</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 06:53:42</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>2,471</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/26709979</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Broken_irises/pseuds/Broken_irises</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Brakebills University has a new graduating class! As is tradition, the upperclassmen show up to receive the incoming freshman and lead them to the entrance exams. Quentin seems to know one of the new recruits. Will withered passion stir again for old loves to ignite? Or will friendship be the best they can hope for?</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Eliot Waugh/Reader, Quentin Coldwater/Eliot Waugh, Quentin Coldwater/Reader</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>20</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Chapter 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>"Let's go," says Eliot.</p><p>Quentin looks up from his textbook and shoots a puzzled look at Eliot, who is hovering over him with his usual nonchalant expression. Eliot raises his eyebrows waiting for Quentin to get off his ass. When Quentin doesn't make a move Eliot rolls his eyes and sighs.</p><p>"Let's GO! Q...you've been sitting on your ass poring over Fillory for hours. You need to take a walk so come with me before I blackmail you with embarrassing secrets from Threesome Night."</p><p>Quentin lets out a huff. Maybe he does need to take his mind off things for a while. <em>It's not like I'm making any progress anyway,</em> he thinks bitterly. He shoves the old textbook off his lap and gets on his feet, holding his hands up to Eliot in a sign of mock-defeat.</p><p>"Where are we headed?" asks Quentin.</p><p>"Fresh meat!" Eliot smirks. "First years" he clarifies on seeing Quentin's horrified face. When the boys reach the Brakebills courtyard, Margo is already there, glorious and sulking.</p><p>"Bambi..." Eliot greets her and she gives him a quick peck on the cheek.</p><p>"Where the fuck have you guys been?" she asks. "They're almost here!"</p><p>"Took me a while to tear Q away from his precious" Eliot explains, confused that Margo is present at the Freshman-greet. Margo is the queen of Brakebills. Why is she here at the freshman reception? His eyes narrow and he stares at her suspiciously.</p><p>"Bambi," he says. "What are you doing here?"</p><p>"I have vested interests in a fresher." Margo states. Her eyes shine, and both Quentin and Eliot take note; that look means she's calling dibs.</p><p>Quentin loves his interaction with Eliot and Margo. It helps him forget.</p><p>"Backing off" says Quentin smiling a little.</p><p>"We'll see..." Margo says and Eliot looks shocked. It's been a while since she's been so smitten by someone.</p><p>"Alright, I'm paying attention. What if I challenge your claim?" Eliot teases.</p><p>Quentin wonders why anyone would want to go up against Margo. But if there's one person to do it, it's Eliot.</p><p>"I doubt you'd be interested, El" she mutters dryly. "Now shut your cocksuckers. They're here"</p><p>A few feet away, four very confused looking individuals have appeared on the grounds, of which three are guys and one is a girl. Quentin scans the group looking for Margo's special someone. The first guy looks nerdy, and not in a cute way. So, it's not him. The second guy is dressed in a particularly flamboyant pair of shiny pants. He is definitely gay, and not Margo's type. The third guy is the only one who's vaguely attractive. Margo is often into really jacked up brainless jocks, so maybe it is him. Good old muscle man.</p><p>Then Quentin's eyes land on the girl and as he finally sees her face, he almost shits himself.</p><p><em>What the fuck. </em>Quentin feels his social anxiety peak. He averts his gaze only to find Eliot and Margo staring at her too.</p><p>"Delicious, isn't she?" Margo asks, but the question is rhetorical.</p><p>"Impressive" Eliot replies. His fingers are morphed into a square and he's intently observing her through it. Quentin's mind is reeling.</p><p>"That's your pick? Her?" Quentin asks, hoping that they wouldn't hear the disappointment and alarm in his voice. But Margo turns around to face him. She's reading his expressions and she's damn good at it.</p><p>"Okay, spill. What is the problem?" she demands. Her question is promptly answered, but not by Quentin.</p><p>"You fucking asshole." Y/N yells. She's made her way across the meadow and she's noticed Quentin.</p><p>Eliot yanks Margo out of the way as Y/N rams into Quentin, shoving him to the ground. A look of amusement passes between Margo and Eliot and they watch as the new girl marches towards and hovers over their friend. Quentin has his hands up in surrender and he's looking up at Y/N with his best puppy dog eyes that make even Margo melt sometimes.</p><p>"How long have you known?" Y/N demands.</p><p>"Y/N, I can explain. Plea-" Quentin begins but Y/N isn't in the mood for excuses. Her body slumps and she moves away from him.</p><p>"Don't bother Q." she says turning towards Margo. "How did I get here and how do I never leave?"</p><p>........................................................................................................................</p><p>Margo is delighted to show Y/N around. Turns out the hint of lust in her eyes was just excitement for a new member for her Welters tournament. Although, to be honest, everything looks lustful when it comes to Margo.</p><p>Eliot tags along with Margo and Y/N, hoping to find his flavor of the month among the freshmen class. Despite all the hunky distractions they encounter on the way, Eliot can't help but observe Y/N. He's still processing the sparks he saw through his finger lens earlier. This girl has some serious mojo and from what he's heard about her entrance exam, she means business. She almost resembles Alice in her determined mannerisms, but there's something else-- something dark. Her connection with Quentin only serves to concern Eliot more and he can't contain himself.</p><p>"So you were hedging before Brakebills huh?" he asks, hoping to pull some secrets from her mind which is airtight with wards.</p><p>"Yes. Minor spells. Mostly mental wards." she responds with a half-hearted smile.</p><p>"Impressive for someone who never had any training. Hope that'll show in the tournament." Margo muses. They're nearing the end of their tour and Margo's initial excitement for her new recruit is wearing off. Eliot can tell Margo's about to dismiss Y/N. He makes his move.</p><p>"We have a party at the Physical Cottage" he says, "You should come, build some new bridges, fix some old ones"</p><p>Y/N chuckles. Then for the first time, she looks directly into Eliot's eyes and he sees how truly remarkable she is. Her eyes can't hide what her mind does.</p><p>"I'll be at your party." she says "but I should get going now. Gotta get dressed up so I'll fit in with your friends"</p><p>She grabs her backpack from the ground and gives a quick goodbye wave to Eliot and Margo. She turns on her heel and calls out to them as she walks away.</p><p>"See you guys soon. And don't worry about me and Q. We'll figure it out, we always do."  </p><p> </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Chapter 2</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>There's a party at the Physical Cottage and Y/N is invited. A game of Push ensues and the stakes are small but interesting!</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Eliot was quickly regretting inviting Y/N to the Physical Cottage party. Not only had she immediately become the center of attention, but she had also started a game of Push, which Eliot could not play to save his life. At least she wasn’t boring. And thankfully, Margo’s liking for Y/N had surpassed her penchant for cattiness. Eliot had a feeling that a rivalry between the two girls would prove rather destructive to the delicate social hierarchy at Brakebills. </p><p> </p><p>“What the fuck!” someone shouted. Eliot heard cheers and boos from a group of people huddled around a table across the room. He suspected Y/N had won another game. His guess was validated as true when the group dispersed and he saw Y/N sitting at the table with a large stack of objects, grinning triumphantly at her hoard. </p><p> </p><p>“Well then,” she called out. “Anyone else want to lose?”</p><p> </p><p>By now, everyone in the house, even those who seemed a little too intoxicated to pass on gambling, had realized that they did not stand a chance against her. A few “not tonight”s and “if I wasn’t drunk”s echoed around the room, but nobody stepped up to challenge her. Then just when people were getting back to their drinking, and Y/N was about to lose the spotlight, a meek voice came from a dark forgotten corner of the hall.</p><p> </p><p>“I’ll play.”</p><p> </p><p>The crowd parted like the red sea to let the foolhardy contender come forth. Eliot choked on his drink as Quentin Coldwater’s small form shuffled towards the Push table. </p><p> </p><p>“What in gay hell…” Eliot muttered to himself. He spotted Margo on the other side of the room, her mouth hanging open in shock. Her eyes found his and she mouthed <em> Do something </em>to him. She was right, he needed to intervene. Quentin did not have a great track record of winning at things and apart from the few people who had seen him attempt to fight Martin Chatwin in Fillory, nobody had much faith in his magic either. While Quentin was better than average card tricks, Y/N seemed way more prepared for magicking her way to victory. </p><p> </p><p>Eliot stepped forward and grabbed Quentin by the arm. </p><p> </p><p>“Q, you sure you want to do that?” Eliot whispered into Quentin’s shoulder. “She hasn’t lost a game all night!”</p><p> </p><p>“I’ll be okay” Quentin replied, patting Eliot’s arm reassuringly. Eliot raised his eyebrows in supercilious amusement. Q seemed uncharacteristically confident. Perhaps it would be interesting to see this game, as long as nobody bet anything important (<em> or illegal, </em>Eliot thought, eyeing the Circumstance Fluctuator casually lying on top of Y/N’s hoard). </p><p> </p><p>Quentin took a seat on the opposite side of the table from Y/N. She did not look particularly pleased by his presence, and Eliot could have sworn he saw a look of nervousness cut through her usually self-assured demeanor. A small throng of drunk Physical kids had gathered around the table to watch Y/N clean the floor with yet another clueless challenger.</p><p> </p><p>“What do you bet?” Y/N asked.</p><p> </p><p>“A coffee date with you.” Quentin muttered nonchalantly. A ripple of ‘oohs’ and ‘aahs’ and a few ‘what an idiot’s passes over the growing crowd. </p><p> </p><p>Eliot blanched. He noticed the ‘what an idiot’ comment had come from Margo, and rightly so. Quentin was betting his dignity. But Eliot supposed it was a minimally dangerous bet, as bets come, considering  Quentin didn’t have much dignity among the folks at Brakebills anyway. And so he watched on in silence. </p><p> </p><p>“If you win, I’ll go on a date with you. If I win, I get to punch you in the face.” Y/N laid out her conditions.</p><p> </p><p>This brought on laughter from the audience, but Quentin nodded in agreement. Either Quentin was secretly amazing at Push or he felt some sort of twisted obligation to let Y/N punch him in the face. Either way, this game was getting more interesting by the minute. </p><p> </p><p>Quentin split the deck in two and flicked Y/N’s cards to her side of the table. Both players shuffled their own decks. Push was a simple game: Each player pulled one card from their respective decks and played it face-up on the center of the table. The player with the higher card won the round and scored a point. The player to score the most points won the game. Much like the card game War. What set Push apart from War was that in Push, both players were allowed and encouraged to cheat. </p><p> </p><p>The core principle of Push was to use ambient levels of magic to manipulate their cards in their own favor. It was all about manipulating probability and circumstances in a way that went undetected. If a player was caught doing magic relevant to the game, they were immediately disqualified. </p><p> </p><p>Quentin offered to pull his card first- a stupid move in Push since playing first made your card vulnerable and the opponent could then manipulate their card accordingly. Y/N won the round with an Ace of spades. The game continued and Quentin was doing surprisingly well. The audience had split into teams and for once, Quentin had strangers willing to be on his side.</p><p> </p><p>The anticipation built into a crescendo as the last round dawned. The score was tied, the fate of the match was down to 1 card. It was Quentin’s turn to pull. He did; his card was a 10 of spades. Not bad. Y/N flicked her card on the table. It was a Queen, Eliot could have sworn it was Queen. He saw it arch through the air towards Quentin’s card. But when it landed, it lay on the table as a disgraceful 2 of spades. </p><p> </p><p>Quentin had won.</p><p> </p><p>The crowd gasped in surprise and Eliot joined them in their amazement. Then, a slow clap broke out through the room until the entire Physical Cottage was cheering and clapping for the only person to beat the recently crowned inhouse Push champion. Eliot felt pride bloom in his chest. Quentin was good naturedly chuckling along with everyone else, but Y/N looked beyond annoyed. </p><p> </p><p>“No punches for me I suppose.” he muttered to Y/N. A look of recognition swept over her scowl and suddenly she looked like she was fighting a smile. Eliot realised Quentin had touched upon an inside joke of some sort. It was kind of cute, Eliot had never met any of Quentin’s friends from his pre-Brakebill life. Except Julia, of course, but that encounter had occurred under much more unpleasant circumstances.  </p><p>    </p><p>The Physical Cottage party soon shifted its attention elsewhere; there was a kid upstairs blowing hookah smoke into Peter Pan characters. From what Eliot could overhear, the rendition of Peter Pan being portrayed was not PG-13. Fighting the urge to see a naked cartoon character made out of smoke, he plucked two drinks from a nearby tray and set them on the Push table. </p><p> </p><p>“For the winner” he said “and his date.”</p><p> </p><p>Y/N offered him a sarcastic grin and proceeded to dump her winnings into her tiny purse. The objects seemed to disappear into the bottomless bag. Eliot stared in amazement. It was the ‘Hermione spell’. </p><p> </p><p>After reading the Harry Potter books, Eliot and Margo had spent weeks trying to put together something that resembled Hermione Granger’s Undetectable Extension Charm. They’d achieved a similar effect on a large-ish burlap sack, but they had never been able to pull it off with anything as pretty or as tiny as the little clutch purse in Y/N’s hands that was currently swallowing dozens of hexed and charmed magical objects. </p><p> </p><p>“How are you <em> doing </em>that?” he asked. He sounded jealous and annoyed and maybe a tiny bit impressed. Y/N looked up at him quizzically. </p><p> </p><p>“Oh,” she said “it's a spell I created when I was hedging.”</p><p> </p><p>Eliot wanted to interrogate her more, but she stood up abruptly and downed her drink in one go.</p><p> </p><p>“I think it’s time for me to go,” she announced.</p><p> </p><p>“When’s our date?” Quentin chimed in, loath to let slide his only opportunity to get her on her own. They needed to talk. </p><p> </p><p>“Meet me in the attic above the library at 6 pm tomorrow.” </p><p> </p><p>Eliot marveled at how much she sounded like Alice and yet she was so different. Quentin nodded at Y/N, acknowledging the schedule. She nodded back, then spun on her heel and disappeared into the crowd.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>The content in this series is a mix of my own ideas, the show and the books. The game of Push is not my invention but it is one of my absolute favorite parts of The Magicians Universe! I hope you guys like this. I might take more rated-R route with the following chapters. Is that something you'd like to see? Lmk in the comments below!</p><p>Please leave feedback in the form of a comment or a kudos! &lt;3</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
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